


The Black Cat

by soul_of_spades



Category: She-Ra and the Princesses of Power (2018)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Superheroes/Superpowers, Blood and Injury, F/F, Fluff, Human Catra (She-Ra), Poor Catra (She-Ra), They’re both gay disasters, but her superhero identity/powers are totally cat-related, but she's just really going through it, she's not suffering in an angsty way
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-20
Updated: 2020-09-20
Packaged: 2021-03-07 22:15:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,548
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26564986
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/soul_of_spades/pseuds/soul_of_spades
Summary: This,Catra thinks—while she not-so delicately scales four floors to reach her dorm room window in tight spandex—isnothow she imagined ending her day.Her original Friday plans weren't even that fancy. All she wanted to do today was finish binge-watching the first season ofKilling Eve,study for her stupid chemistry exam on Monday, and hang out with Adora (her not yet, but maybe soon-to-be girlfriend).Instead, some idiots decided to rob a bank.Superhero Catra AU.
Relationships: Adora/Catra (She-Ra)
Comments: 21
Kudos: 243





	The Black Cat

_This,_ Catra thinks—while she not-so delicately scales four floors to reach her dorm room window in tight spandex—is _not_ how she imagined ending her day. 

Her original Friday plans weren't even that fancy. All she wanted to do today was finish binge-watching the first season of _Killing Eve,_ study for her stupid chemistry exam on Monday, and hang out with Adora (her not yet, but maybe soon-to-be girlfriend). 

Instead, some idiots decided to rob a bank. Then said idiots led her on a high-speed chase across downtown. And last, but certainly not least: said idiots somehow drew a gun on her and didn't miss—hence the peep hole in her thigh soaking through her suit. She caught them, of course, but at what cost?

Now her day is ruined, and all she can think about is the last text message Adora sent her after she played the "I'm not feeling so hot" card.

_i'm sorry. feel better :)_

Catra groans and lightly butts her head against the old-school brick. This day couldn't possibly get any worse. 

Correction: her footing slips, and suddenly she's dangling from a windowsill getting a face-full of awkward math major freshmen sucking face.

 _Damn it,_ that could've been her and Adora. But alas, the universe has given her the proverbial finger by delivering her dumbass bank robbers and showing her _this_ instead. 

Holding on with just one hand on the ledge—something Adora surely would be impressed by—Catra flicks off the man upstairs and quickly readjusts to climb up to her room's window. When she reaches it, she briefly acknowledges the familiar flash of a TV playing and figures her roommate (and secret identity confidant) has fallen asleep watching _Property Brothers_ reruns again. Classic Scorpia.

Catra opens the window, pushes herself through like a crippled seal, and falls face-first onto her bed in typical "I hate my life" fashion. She peels off her suffocating mask and tosses it on the floor. Then, she flips over to rest on her back. An airy sigh brushes past her lips. At the very least, she can now glue her fragile ego back together in peace.

"Catra?"

In that moment, Catra contemplates shoving her entire foot in her mouth and choking on it. Because there's wonderful, beautiful, ever-so thoughtful Adora—sitting on the end of her bed with a bowl of popcorn in her lap and a little "get well" ensemble resting at her feet. She got Catra _candy_ and _flowers,_ and is that a _card?_

Well, her cat-like reflexes and senses have certainly failed her. Unless... 

"You're not real," Catra blurts in a daze, curling her knees up to her chest. "You're just a figment of my imagination."

Sadly, her hallucination talks back. _"You're_ the Black Cat?"

Catra cringes at the name. She really wishes this damn city had some sense of originality when they pinned her with that tacky alias. Now she'll never shake the name (but if she's being completely honest with herself, it's not like she had any superhero name ideas to begin with). 

"How are you here?"

Catra hates to admit it, but Adora's wide-eye stare is adorable, even as she answers, "Scorpia let me in on her way out. She wanted me to tell you she's spending the night at Perfuma's."

 _Some confidant,_ Catra internally grumbles.

"Sorry," Adora says, still in shock. Catra raises a brow at her. "But I'm gonna have to repeat myself: _you're_ the Black Cat?"

Catra takes a deep breath and nervously combs her fingers through her short hair. "Guess the cat's out of the bag."

Adora snorts. "Seriously?"

"Look, Scorpia's stupid puns are contagious. Give me a break."

"It's just..." Adora's breath hitches. _"Wow."_

Catra tilts her head at her, confused. "Wow, what?"

"Oh, uh, nothing," says Adora, a ripe blush dusting her cheeks as her eyes keep flickering between Catra and the popcorn bowl in her lap—the spandex _does_ do wonders for Catra’s figure. "Just a lot to take in." 

Catra is about to pounce (metaphorically speaking) and take advantage of Adora's obvious _thing_ for her suit, but alas, the universe interrupts to say:

"Oh my god, _Catra,_ you're bleeding!"

Catra blinks and looks down at her sheets, noticing the splotch of red next to her butt (that's honestly very reminiscent of a period mishap). "Oh, that," she says lamely. "Yeah, that's a thing. I kinda got shot at today."

"You _what?"_ Adora shrieks, and Catra quickly covers her mouth. 

"You are not getting me a noise complaint with the RA, you hear me?" she whisper-yells. "I can't get caught like this _twice."_

Adora nods dumbly against her palm. Catra slowly takes her hand back. An awkward, silent pause fills the void between them as they stare each other down on either side of Catra's bed. Of course, the image of two pimply college kids shoving their tongues down each other's throats comes to mind—and _god,_ does Catra wish she had the balls to just lean in and bridge the gap between them. 

Fight bad guys on the daily? No problem. Try to kiss the girl she has an uber-crush on? Fat chance. 

Adora breaks the ice first. "Um," she says, swallowing anxiously. "How hard is it to take off that suit?" 

Catra's initial reaction was priceless—her face must've been cherry red. But now, as she lays flat on her stomach in nothing but an oversized band t-shirt and underwear while Adora preps to stitch up the back of her thigh with dental floss, she can honestly say that things really could get _worse_ than getting shot by idiot bank robbers and peeping on some mathletes dancing the tongue tango. 

Somebody please shoot her again, preferably above the belt. Save her from this hell. 

Meanwhile, Adora is too far gone down her pre-med rabbit hole to notice Catra's existential crisis. "Got anything to keep this from getting infected?"

"There's vodka under my bed," she mumbles pitifully. 

At least Catra doesn't cry like a baby when Adora pours one out on her. 

The actual stitching-up part hurts like a bitch, but Catra just grits her teeth and takes it like a champ. Even with her dignity torn to shreds, she can at least say her pain tolerance is still up to par. 

As for her mental and emotional pain threshold, that's still up for debate. 

"There," Adora says, giving her leg a little pat. "All done." 

Catra quickly retreats back to her end of the bed. "Thanks for the assist."

Adora nods. "You should really be more careful. I've, uh, watched a couple of your fights on YouTube"— _wait, is Adora admitting to being a Black Cat fan?_ —"and I know your whole 'thing' is tactically avoiding and using your opponent's own moves against them, but... I could help you with the direct hand-to-hand combat stuff. I _am_ a licensed instructor." She avoids Catra's eyes, tacking on, "You don't have to, but I just thought I'd offer."

Catra's jaw drops. "You want to teach me how to fight better?" Adora sputters, trying to spit up some kind of apology, but Catra cuts her off. "Wow, you're taking this really well. I kinda thought you'd duck and run and never wanna see me again."

"What? Why would you think that?"

 _Because nothing good— **no one** good—ever happens to her, and she always ruins things, _Catra's screwed-up brain supplies. 

Instead she answers: "I... this whole superhero gig is dangerous."

"Please, spare me the 'get out while you still can' speech," Adora interrupts. 

Catra just stares at her like an idiot, giving Adora an open invitation to continue.

"Look, Catra," Adora starts _—and is she blushing?_ "I really like you. Like, _a lot._ And I genuinely care about you. I mean, look at this." She picks up her little "get well" basket and sets it on the bed between them. "I almost lost my mind in the middle of a CVS trying to remember what your favorite candy was. And I planned a little mini-date to watch _Killing Eve_ with you to make you feel better. I'm in way too deep."

Catra covers her mouth to suppress a giggle. 

A flash of fear crosses Adora's face. "I... um, shoot. I really wanted that to sound romantic." Oh, her anxiety is beginning to make her spiral. "Guess I suck at confessions," she laughs nervously. "Could I maybe get a re-do? Please?"

"Not a chance."

The way Adora's face falls tells Catra she needs to recover in a monumental way ASAP.

"Hey, Adora?"

She tips her head up, lips pursed in a pout. 

"I really like you, like _a lot,_ too." And then to her own surprise, Catra finds her inner-superhero's courage and bridges the gap between them.

While she revels in the kiss—especially in how Adora clumsily kisses her back—Catra can't help but remember what her stupid elf-bionic man-looking nemesis told her the other night about hunting down everyone she cares about to make her pay. This could potentially bite her in the ass in the long run. 

But for now, Catra can't find it in herself to care. Because for once the universe is on her side and she's about to take full advantage of it.

Getting shot never tasted so sweet. 

**Author's Note:**

> Yeah, I totally flipped the script with this one. And it totally got out of hand, but I doubt y'all are complaining.
> 
> As always, please leave a comment to tell me what you think. It feeds me serotonin and helps motivate me to write more content like this. 
> 
> Thanks for reading! :)


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